"Both telling important stories": Barbenheimer
While Barbie and Oppenheimer are completely at odds tonally, they share a bleak, existential view of the world. But make sure you see them on different days...
Much has been made about the releases of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. What started as a meme
poking fun at two wildly contrasting films releasing on the same day
has spiralled into a cultural phenomenon being described as the
movie event of the year. A classic case of counter programming has
led to the films being bound together in an event which has been
affectionately billed as ‘Barbenheimer’.
Barbie is a film
adaptation of the popular toy franchise from Mattel starring Margot Robbie as
the titular doll and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Oppenheimer focuses on J
Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), a brilliant theoretical physicist who will be forever remembered for the most
devastating weapon ever devised by man.
Many filmgoers,
including myself, took on the task of viewing the
films as a double bill. But is this really the best way to experience
this cinematic event?
When choosing to
take on this mammoth five-hour trip to the cinema, the viewing order
is crucial. Do you start off the day with a light and
bright comedy about being human, before watching a three-hour
exploration of the worst thing humans have created? Or do you take
Barbie as a palette cleanser? I chose the latter. What I discovered is that the idea of ‘Barbenheimer’ is much more fun than the
actual experience.
While the films are
completely at odds tonally, they share a bleak,
existential view of the world. Barbie shows the
real world as a constant struggle for women, while Oppenheimer
believes we're on the edge of destroying ourselves. Barbenheimer is a far cry from the wacky idea that social media
portrays it as.
Oppenheimer is a
gripping 180-minute onslaught about the moral complexities
of creating a weapon as powerful as the atomic bomb. It sticks to you, leaving you to ponder the implications of what you've
seen. But only 20 minutes after reading ‘Directed by
Christopher Nolan’ on screen, I was watching Margot Robbie
float off the roof of a bright pink Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
Barbie is a ridiculous fever dream of a studio comedy. Being thrown into that
world immediately caused a bout of whiplash as big as a mushroom
cloud. The angst of knowing the evil and horror that man is capable
of is not a feeling you want when watching Ryan Gosling perform a
power ballad about the struggles of being a Ken doll. A rewatch of
Barbie may be needed to fully appreciate it in the right frame of
mind.
Oppenheimer and
Barbie are both telling important stories that deserve to be
heard. But make sure you see them on different days to experience
them for what they are, outside of the ‘Barbenheimer’ bubble.
